Up, my lady, pack your things
This place is not your home, nor was it ever
Sever every tie
Tonight we ride, tonight we ride
Tonight we ride
And how we've trembled at the way that time assembles
Little fires of desire in the tundra of our skin
So, do yourself a little favor, savor every time you waver
For that shaking in my voice was only slyly feigned chagrin
Tonight we ride
Tonight we ride

Lover, uncover
I know it's warm beneath your sheets and there is ice along the streets but listen
Lover, we will recover
But we've no time to waste with meddling in affairs
We've locked so tightly in our dreams
We are not clean, we are not pure
We will not rest until we're sure
So rob your pretty little eyes of sleep's disguise
I'm at your bedside with a bucket full of lies
So clear your ears and listen
Up, my lady, pack your things
This place is not your home

And I know what is
And to the glorious past
You've opened my window but broken the glass
And I beseech thee, shed thy beauty
For as a child leaves the womb and learns the cold
You have taught us peril in the present
And you will bring us peril in our surely soon to be
Unless the river's not flooded this time

Oh, precious distance
Oh, precious pain, you've given me a name
And etched it in the stones of the river bank
Oh, precious distance
Oh, precious pain, you've given us a name
You've given us a name

"Rise," said the king to the river
"Never let up
No, bring us a flood and bring it hard"
"Freeze," said the wind to the water
"Never give in
No, build us a bridge
And build it strong and angry.
Let it still the king's decrees
You must contemplate the current, boy
And command that coward cease"
The boy breathes for his love says, "I wait"
His love says, "I wait"
She's shouting out, "I will come back"
Yes, I will come back"
And I will come
I have lived my life so uncomfortably
Darling, come for me, come for me

"Rise," said the boy to his love
"Darling, get up
I've brought you my love
And brought it far"
"Leave," said the girl to her lover
"I've given in
If love is a bridge, we built it wrong"
Curb your anger
Still your fists
She will never come back
She'll never come back
She'll never come
Never come back
She'll never come

General CommentThis song relates to the Asian folktale of the princess and the cowherd. A version of this folktale is summarized in the "four" off of Here, Hear. In some versions the lady is a daughter of an emperor and in others she is a goddess. Being that the title of the album is "Somewhere at the Bottom of the River Between Vega and Altair" I would think that the writers meant for this story to refer to the constellations in the night sky. The lady is the star Vega in the constellation of Lyra east of the Milky Way, and the boy is the star Altair in the constellation of Aquila west of the Milky Way. The king I suppose would be God.

Look up the princess and the cowherd on wikipedia, it definitely adds more interest to what is already one of the most badass songs I've ever heard, and to the album as a whole.

My Opinionusually when people say things like "that song gave me shivers" i never really relate, but whenever i listen to this song, i actually really do feel so much emotion. while it's incredibly difficult for me to find others who will listen to this and actually notice the meaning the first time around, it really makes me want to cry or something. i mean, i'm not THAT emotional, but the strain in his voice just shakes me.

Song Meaningdefinitely agree its about the princess and the cowherd
the princess fell in love with the cowherd across the river and the her father the king would flood the river to keep them apart
fits in perfectly with the lyrics and the album title